WHAT IS A REPRESENTATION AGREEMENT?

A Power of Attorney only deals with financial and legal decisions. A Representation Agreement is a document which can be used in British Columbia to provide your named representative the authority to make health care decisions for you if you are unable to do so because of mental or physical disability. Language can be incorporated into a Representation Agreement to give the named representative the legal right to refuse specific medical treatment or sometimes any treatment at all.

A Representation Agreement gives you the opportunity to appoint a person of your choice to make health care decisions for you on an ongoing basis. You set out in what circumstances consent to treatment is to be given on your behalf by your representative and in what circumstances it is not to be given. As well, you can specify acceptable types of treatment.